Effect of Nucleotides Supplementation to Corn Soybean Meal-Based Diet on Growth Performance, Fecal Microflora, and Blood Profiles in Sows and Their Piglets

With the increasing concerns on antibiotic resistance in humans, antibiotic-free diets for animals are more preferable. Nucleotides have been added in many animal dietary supplements for years so as to improve their growth and immunity. A total of 15 sows (Landrace × Yorkshire) and their litters were used in the present study to evaluate the efficacy of nucleotides supplementation on reproductive performance, growth performance, fecal score, fecal microflora and blood profiles in sows and piglets. Sows were allocated to 1 of 3 treatments (5 pigs/treatment and the average parity was 4.13). Dietary treatments consisted of: 1) CON: basal diet; 2) T1: CON + 0.5% nucleotides; 3) T2: CON + 1.0% nucleotides. From day 90 to day 109 of pregnancy, a gestation diet was provided. From day 110 of pregnancy to weaning (day 21 of lactation), sows were fed lactation diets. Lactobacillus, Escherichia. coli (E. coli) were determined on fresh morning fecal samples before farrowing (d110), and at weaning. Blood samples were acquired from the cervical vein from 2 sows each treatment to obtain whole blood and serum respectively in the end of the study. All data were statistically analyzed using the GLM procedure of the SAS program (SAS Inst. Inc., Cary, NC, USA). Orthogonal comparisons were conducted using polynomial regression to determine linear and quadratic effects of increasing nucleotides levels on all measurements. In this study, linear increase (P<0.05) were observed among treatments, including total birth piglet, number of live piglet, and piglet survival. The average daily feed intake (ADFI) showed linear increase (P=0.0467) during of lactation sows in nucleotides treatments. The back fat thickness of sows linearly increased (P=0.0468) during weaning in nucleotides treatments. Piglets fed the T3 treatment had the highest body weight (P=0.0029), and total average daily gain (ADG) (P=0.0014) among the treatments during weaning; piglets fed the T3 treatment had the highest (P<0.05) ADG among the treatments during initial to weaning. A linear increase (P<0.05) in Lactobacillus, and linear decrease (P<0.05) in E. coli counts in sows were showed during weaning with dietary supplementation of nucleotides. The concentrations of epinephrine, norepinephrine, and cortisol showed linear reduction (P<0.05) in lactating sows at weaning. Superoxide dismutase level was found to be increased linearly (P<0.05) before farrowing, and at weaning. The results of this study demonstrate the importance of increased levels of total nucleotides in the diet of sows to improve sows and piglet performance.